The Candidate is a pediatric cardiologist with a career long commitment to patient-oriented research. In 1995 he retrained as a human molecular geneticist during a 31-month-long postdoctoral fellowship in the Seidman Laboratory, Harvard Medical School. He was recruited to Cincinnati Children's Hospital in January 2001 to build a bridge between the clinical programs in Pediatric Cardiology and the cardiac development programs in Molecular Cardiovascular Biology. His long-term research objective is to determine the molecular basis of pediatric heart disease. This renewal application is designed to provide the Candidate with support to mentor Fellows in Pediatric Cardiology in patient-oriented research. Funding to support the proposed research is provided by a SCCOR in Pediatric Heart Disease (PI, Benson) and a project on a Program Project Grant (PI, Gourdie). Three new patient-oriented research projects to be specifically supported by this grant are proposed. The aims of the research have been developed based upon the rationale and feasibility demonstrated in preliminary data. The proposed program will provide mentoring in patient-oriented research for Pediatric Cardiology Fellows, but in an effort to increase the applicant pool in Pediatric Cardiology, predoctoral students or postdoctoral trainees with M.D.-Ph.D. will be mentored. The institutional environment is rich in cardiovascular research, and the pre- and postdoctoral level training programs are substantial. A well-established patient-oriented research program exists at the Cincinnati Children's Medical Center. There is generous institutional support to establish a program for molecular genetics of congenital heart disease. All elements have been assembled for building an enriched environment for mentoring patient-oriented research investigators in molecular genetics of cardiovascular disease in the young. Receipt of the Mid-Career Award in patient-oriented research will allow the Candidate to devote 50% effort to research and mentoring in patient-oriented research.